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Welcome to Week 8 of the college football season. The previous week saw some upsets, but nothing like last week. Four of the top-10 teams fell in defeat last week, which shook up the college football rankings. Georgia was blown out by LSU on the road and now they’re no longer the 2nd ranked team in the county. West Virginia, Washington and Penn State also went down and pretty much destroyed their playoff hopes. Colorado came into its game with USC undefeated, but they were taking apart by the Trojans. My record last week was 2-3, which dropped my overall record to 23-9. The winning percentage continue to plummet from 77.8 to 71.9%. This week I’ll be predicting another four games with the hopes of remaining above the 70% win plateau. Let’s get started!!

We kick things off in the SEC as the 22nd ranked Mississippi State Bulldogs battle the 5th ranked LSU Tigers. Last week, the Bulldogs smothered the Auburn Tigers by beating them 23-9 which ended their two game losing streak. It seems like the Bulldogs defense is starting to look like the dominant one we expected. The last two weeks against Florida and Auburn they gave up a total of 22 points. Can they go into the tough environment of Baton Rouge and upset LSU? LSU erased their tough loss against Florida by blowing out the Georgia Bulldogs. The Tigers proved they have one of the better defenses in the country and the offense isn’t bad either. It’s hard to beat LSU at home and especially night games, so I’m riding with the Tigers.

LSU Win 27-14

We stay in the south, but this time we’re going to ACC country for this top-20 match-up. The 16th ranked N.C. State Wolfpack will head to Clemson to battle the 3rd ranked Tigers. If you want to talk about a team that has flown under the radar, it has to be the Wolfpack. I’m sure I’m not the only one who didn’t realize that they’re undefeated. The toughest game they’ve had was last week against Boston College where they barely got by them. Can they tame the Tigers on the road? After barely escaping with a win against Syracuse a couple weeks ago, many questioned the Tigers. Those questions were answered last week when they beat the brakes off of Wake Forest on the road by 60 points. Can they continue that momentum? I’m thinking they can and will as they’ll beat the Wolfpack.

Clemson Win 45-24

We head to the great state of Michigan for this rivalry game between two ranked teams. The 6th ranked Michigan Wolverines will travel to Lansing to battle the 24th ranked Michigan State Spartans. After losing their opener, the Wolverines have won six games in a row and they’re thinking playoffs. After an impressive 25-point win over the Wisconsin Badgers last week, it seems like Michigan is clicking on both sides of the ball. Can they beat their rival on the road and continue their playoff push? Michigan State is a tricky team to predict because one week they look horrible and the next one they’re upsetting Penn State. Can they put an end to the Wolverines playoff hopes? I’m going with the Michigan Wolverines on the road.

Michigan Win 24-21

We head to the Pacific Northwest where ESPN College Gameday will be at for the first time. The 12th ranked Oregon Ducks will travel north to face the 25th ranked Washington State Cougars. Think about this for a second? Oregon should be undefeated headed into this game, but they gave the game away against Stanford a few weeks back. After winning their second straight game against a ranked opponent, the Ducks find themselves in a four-way tie in the Pac-12 North standings. On the other hand, Washington State should be undefeated coming into this game also. They gave the game away against USC a few weeks back, but they can make a statement with this game. It’s hard going to Washington State, beating them and I don’t think Oregon will either.

Washington State Win 41-31

What game intrigues you the most in college football? Do you see any upsets happening this weekend? What do you think about my predictions and my top-5 below? Leave a comment below.

Now that we got the Eastern Conference Out of the way, let’s head out to the west. Everything starts out with the 2-time defending champs, the Golden State Warriors. They come into the season trying to make it four titles in five years. There’s a lot of talk about the future of this franchise lately. Kevin Durant has been rumored to be leaving after this year and now we hear that Klay Thompson won’t take a discount to stay. LeBron James left Cleveland and signed with the Los Angeles Lakers. Carmelo Anthony signed with the Rockets and Paul George opted to remain in Oklahoma City. Jimmy Butler is still a Timberwolve for now, but that could change any day now. Rumors are running rampant that Anthony Davis will most likely to be the next free agent to leave for a chance to be a part of a winning franchise. Russell Westbrook will miss some time after having knee surgery. Either way, this should be another great season in the NBA. Let’s see who’ll the top 8 teams be coming out of the Western Conference.

Golden State Warriors

Of course, we have to start with the defending champions. The only thing that can stop this team is themselves. With the signing of DeMarcus Cousins, the Warriors will have one of the best centers in the league. This all depend on how the recovery to his torn Achilles goes as the Warriors will slowly work him into things. Golden State will be the favorites, but they will have stiff competition so them winning the title isn’t a forgone conclusion. The futures of Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green will be a hot topic throughout the season. Either way, Golden State is the best in the west and I’d bet on them being in the NBA Finals again.

Houston Rockets

Last year, many thought the Houston Rockets could’ve beat the Warriors if Chris Paul didn’t go down with an injury. Most of them returned, but Trevor Ariza signed with the Phoenix Suns. Carmelo Anthony signed with the Rockets to replace Ariza. Clint Capela also resigned with the Rockets after a long discussion. To me, Clint Capela is a key piece to this team and definitely the anchor for this defense. By adding Carmelo Anthony though, it adds more scoring to an already great offense. Houston is definitely the biggest threat to the Warriors in the west and I wouldn’t be surprised if they beat them. If Houston goes into the playoffs this coming season as the top seed, it wouldn’t be shocking either.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Russell Westbrook is currently out after having surgery on his knee. Paul George re-signing with the Thunder surprised many people, but the pairing with Westbrook can do remarkable things. When Westbrook returns, these two will show the chemistry. When these two were on the court together without Carmelo Anthony, they thrived. The addition of Dennis Schroder will be huge for the Thunder as he’ll start when Westbrook is out. Schroder will come off the bench when Westbrook returns and give the second team a boost. Oklahoma City will start out slow, but they will get momentum when Westbrook return and should finish third.

Los Angeles Lakers

This is probably the most talked about team in the entire league. We all know that LeBron James signed with the Lakers this offseason, but they made many other moves. Rajon Rondo, Lance Stephenson, Javale McGee and Michael Beasley all signed with the Lakers. Los Angeles is still home to some great, young talent in Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart. Many people are pointing towards 2019 for the Lakers to make some noise. Adding veterans to these young guys will be great for the team and the Lakers will be better than what many thinks. Los Angeles will deal with growing pains during the year, but I’m thinking they can host a playoff series.

Denver Nuggets

The Denver Nuggets will finish 5th in the Western Conference but could end up as high as third. The Nuggets drafted Michael Porter Jr, who could end up being the steal of the NBA Draft. We don’t know if he’ll actually play this season, but Denver has plenty of talent to cause problems in the West. Jamal Murray and Gary Harris form one of the better backcourts in the NBA. Nikola Jokic was rewarded with a huge contract in the offseason because he’s one of the more underrated big men in the league. Anytime he steps on the floor, he’s capable of getting a double-double to go along with a few assists. Paul Millsap and his health will be key to the Nuggets success as his veteran leadership will be vital. In a year he’s hoping to prove he’s still an elite player, Denver signed Isiah Thomas to a one-year deal.

New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans will be without DeMarcus Cousins this season as he signed with the Warriors. Anthony Davis has been brought up in many discussions when talking about his future with the Pelicans. They recently traded for Wesley Johnson and acquired Jahlil Okafor, who’s trying to prove he’s not a bust. Adding Okafor could be beneficial to Anthony Davis and Davis could help him with his game. Another big addition to this team is Julius Randle as I’ve been high on him since his Kentucky days. Seeing Randle will get great minutes, this could possibly be a steal for the Pelicans. New Orleans is slated to finish 6th in m predictions, but I would be surprised if they finished a little higher.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz run from a year ago wasn’t a fluke and they will prove it. Donovan Mitchell reminds me of a young Dwyane Wade and he’ll continue to be a leader on this Jazz team. Ricky Rubio is in a contract year, so expect him to continue his great play. Rudy Gobert will continue to be the dominant presence in the middle and could win the Defensive Player of the Year. Utah added Grayson Allen in the NBA Draft and I think he’ll be a solid player coming off the bench for the Jazz. Joe Ingles can light it up with the best of them in the league and don’t be surprised if the Jazz finished higher like they did a year ago.

Portland Trailblazers

This came down between the Portland Trailblazers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Damian Lilard and C.J. McCollum still form one of the best backcourts in the NBA and I’m sure they’ll have a lot to prove. C.J. McCollum has talked a lot of shit throughout the offseason and he will be targeted. Damian Lilard will have a chip on his shoulder after his awful playoff run last year. For me, this is a make or break year for Portland because if they don’t do anything significant, we could see this team get blown up. With the passing of their owner, Paul Allen they will have a lot to play for in that regards. Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins will need to come up huge in the frontcourt for them to achieve any success.

If Jimmy Butler isn’t traded, he could help them make the playoffs, but it seems like management is content on shipping him off. I’m still up in the air when it comes to San Antonio because the injury to Dejaun Murray, Manu Ginobli retiring and Tony Parker in Charlotte. How do you see the Western Conference shaping up this season? In what order do you see these teams finishing? Leave a comment below.

I’ll admit, that I’m addicted to the NFL and college football. When it comes to the basketball and the NBA, those same addictions apply to them also. Like always, the NBA offseason was amazing with several big names signing new deals. The biggest acquisition saw LeBron James head west to the Los Angeles Lakers. There’s drama within the Minnesota Timberwolves organization after Jimmy Butler demanded a trade. Speaking of Minnesota, they showed their allegiance to Karl Anthony-Towns by giving him the super max. Carmelo Anthony was trade d to Atlanta, released and signed with the Houston Rockets. Kawhi Leonard and DeMar DeRozan switched teams and Devin Booker signed a huge deal to stay in Phoenix. In a surprising move, DeMarcus Cousins joined the Golden State Warriors on a one-year deal. Paul George, Chris Paul and Kevin Durant remained with their teams with Durant only signing a one-year deal.

With all that happening, we’re expecting another exciting season around the league. Despite it’s the beginning of the 2018 season, free agency for next season has already been talked about. Before we talk about the 2019 season, let’s get this one out of the way first. If healthy, we’ll see who the top 8 teams from each conference should be.

Boston Celtics

Last season, the Celtics dealt with a major blow when Gordon Heyward went down for the season. Kyrie Irving went down later in the year and the Celtics were without him throughout the playoffs. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Terry Rozier step their games up big time. The Boston Celtics enter the season as the favorites to win the Eastern Conference and could possibly challenge the Warriors if they meet. There will be talk about the future of Kyrie Irving because there’s been numerous rumors of him leaving. Either way, Boston should finish atop of the East and they should make the NBA Finals.

Toronto Raptors

People tend to forget how great of a season the Toronto Raptors had last year. For me, they upgraded when they traded for Kawhi Leonard and shipped DeMar DeRozan. If Kawhi Leonard can remain healthy and be the player he was in San Antonio, they could easily challenge Boston for the top spot. Another factor in the success of the Raptors is how they react to their new coach, Nick Nurse. After a very successful stint as Head Coach, Dwane Casey was fired despite being the coach of the year. With the great, young talent to go with the veterans, they’re poised for another great season.

Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers will be my 3rd ranked team in the Eastern Conference. They will contend for the top two spots, but I’m comfortable with them being in the three spot. If healthy, Joell Embiid and Ben Simmons could be contenders for league MVP. Markelle Fultz will be a huge factor in their success this season. The 76ers are hoping to capitalize on their great run from a year ago where they reached the Conference Semifinals. Will the 76ers remain healthy this season? Could they challenge the Raptors and Celtics for the top spot?

Milwaukee Bucks

Everything with the Milwaukee Bucks success revolves around the Greek Freak. Last season, he got off to a great start as the Bucks looed amazing. As the season went on, defenses were able to frustrate him to making bad decisions. Coming into this season, the Greek Freak has stated he’s been working on his 3-point shooting. If Giannis is able to hit the 3-pointer consistently, this will be trouble for the Eastern Conference and the league. Giannis will be an MVP candidate and if he can carry the Bucks like we know he can, they could finish as high as 2nd in the East. Milwaukee will be without Jabari Parker, who left via free agency and went to Chicago. Will Milwaukee benefit from LeBron heading out west?

Washington Wizards

I’ve been a fan of the Washington Wizards for years now. John Wall and Bradley Beal still remain one of the top backcourts in the league. After having a great season in Charlotte last year, Dwight Howard signed with the Wizards. Dwight Howard is dealing with back issues, which could hamper him throughout the season. Throughout the years, the Washington Wizards underachieved and sooner or later, they have to finally step up to be the team many thought they should be. LeBron James have been a thorn in their side for years and they could benefit from his move to Los Angeles. Can the Wizards finally make that move in the Eastern Conference?

Indiana Pacers

If you want to talk about surprise teams from last year, the Indiana Pacers will be on top of that list. Victor Oladipo was one of the biggest surprises of the league last year and came really close to eliminating the Cleveland Cavaliers. Indiana invested in their future by inking Myles Turner to a $72 million extension over the next four years. If Indiana can play like they did a year ago, they could finish in the top-4 of the Eastern Conference. With Victor Oladipo not being under the radar this season, can the Pacers continue to improve?

Detroit Pistons

The Detroit Pistons will have Blake Griffin for the entire season this year. Andre Drummond is a double-double machine and it seems like he’s been working on his handles and shooting. They made a good signing by bringing in veteran Jose Calderon. In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons is one of my sleeper teams. Reggie Jackson plays with a chip on his shoulder and the Pistons starting five could be great, if healthy. Detroit could be a very good squad and they should make the playoffs this season.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Cleveland will be without LeBron James as he’s off to Los Angeles and a 4-year deal. Kevin Love inked an extension to remain with the Cavaliers for the foreseeable future. Tristian Thompson have stated that the East still run through them. Larry Nance Jr. just signed a 4-year extension to remain with the Cavaliers. Cleveland drafted Collin Sexton, whom could be the best point guard coming out of the draft. Jordan Clarkson need to improve, Sam Dekker was a fantastic addition and Rodney Hood should have a good season. With the Cavs make the playoffs? Will they overachieve and finish higher than 8th?

The Chicago Bulls could be a sleeper team in the Eastern Conference. Also, the Miami Heat could be a sleeper team and think they could finish as high as 6th. How do you think the Eastern Conference will turn out? Leave a comment below about my predictions.

We’re now down to the Final Four of Baseball. In the American League we have the Boston Red Sox battling the defending World Series champs, Houston Astros. For the National League, the matchup will feature the Los Angeles Dodgers taking on The Milwaukee Brewers. The Red Sox advanced to the ALCS by beating their rivals New York Yankees three games to one. The Houston Astros advanced by sweeping the Cleveland Indians. Milwaukee advanced to the NLCS by sweeping the Colorado Rockies. The Los Angeles Dodgers finished off the young Atlanta Braves three games to one. The Boston/Houston series will draw the most attention, but the Dodgers/Brewers series could surprise people. Who will advance to play in the Fall Classic?

We kick things off in the American League with the most intriguing matchup. The Boston Red Sox finished with the best record in baseball as they feature a pair of MVP candidates. If the Red Sox will advance, the offense will be key, but the pitching is where it’s at. All eyes have been on David Price because he’s struggled in the playoffs throughout his career. With Chris Sale, he’s still facing issues with his shoulder and this could be something to watch in this series. As far as Houston is concerned, they’re looked at as the favorites despite the Red Sox historic season. Houston is looking to repeat and with veteran Justin Verlander, they have a good shot. Houston’s offense can catch fire at any given time just like the Red Sox. Despite not having the great season like they did last year, they showed how great they can with the sweep of the Indians. This is a hard series for me to pick because the Astros play great against the Red Sox but riding with Boston.

Boston Advances to World Series 4-2

We head to the National League as the Milwaukee Brewers take on the defending NL champ, Los Angeles Dodgers. Many know all about the Los Angeles Dodgers, but not too much about the Brewers. Milwaukee is the home of MVP candidate, Christian Yelich. Milwaukee will clearly be the underdogs against the Dodgers. The best thing about the playoffs is that the hottest team usually come out on top. Milwaukee is definitely the hotter team, but can they prevent the Dodgers from going back to the World Series? Los Angeles has the Brewers beat in damn near every category. Clayton Kershaw will start Game 1 after his masterpiece in the last series. The Dodgers have one of the deepest squads with a mix of veterans and younger guys. Can the Dodgers return to the World Series? Can the Brewers upset the Dodgers to advance to the World Series? I’m rolling with the Dodgers to head back to the World Series.

Welcome to Week 7 of the college football season. With so many upsets last week, the new rankings looked different from the week before. Notre Dame crept into the top-5 with an impressive win over the Virginia Tech Hokies. After their victory over the rival Oklahoma Sooners, the Texas Longhorns are ranked 9th this week. It looks like Florida is back with their win over then 5th ranked LSU. Auburn continues to fall, and Kentucky was very close to remaining undefeated after losing on the road against Texas A&M. Last week my record was 3-2, which lowered my record 21-6 and my winning percentage dropped from 81.8 to 77.8%. This week I’ll be predicting another five games with the hopes of keeping my 70% winning percentage. Let’s get started!

We kick things off in SEC country with a top-15 match-up. The 2nd ranked Georgia Bulldogs will travel to Baton Rouge to face the 13th ranked LSU Tigers. Georgia is favored to represent the SEC East in the SEC Championship game this year again. This is the beginning of a month of tough tests for the Bulldogs. After LSU, they have a bye week followed by Florida, at Kentucky and then Auburn. Will Georgia leave Baton Rouge undefeated heading into the bye week? LSU has enjoyed a memorable season thus far, but unfortunately, they fell to Florida on the road. LSU is facing a similar dilemma as Georgia as this is their second consecutive game against a ranked team. Can the Tigers rebound from their loss? This will be a tough game, but I’m picking the Bulldogs to barely edge the Tigers.

Georgia Win 27-24

We head out to the west for a huge match-up with major complications in the Pac-12 North. The 7th ranked Washington Huskies will travel to Oregon to face the 17th ranked Ducks. Since their loss to Auburn during the opening weekend of the season, Washington has been on a roll. They barely escaped winless UCLA last week on the road, could it be they were looking ahead for this game? Can the Huskies pull off the win on the road to pad their Pac-12 North lead? Oregon rebounded nicely after their loss to Stanford where they should’ve won with a win at California. If the Ducks are going to have a chance in their division, they need this win and some help. I’m thinking Washington have a chance to make the playoffs and this could help solidify it. I’ going with the Huskies to win on the road.

Washington Win 31-30

We head to the Big Ten conference for a top-15 match-up that could be an elimination game. The 15th ranked Wisconsin Badgers will head to Ann Arbor to face the 12th ranked Michigan Wolverines. Outside that game they slipped up, Wisconsin should be undefeated coming into this game. Many thought the Badgers would be in the playoffs this year, but crazy things have happened so they’re not out. Can this tough Badgers team beat the Wolverines on the road? After their tough loss against Notre Dame during the opening weekend, they have looked great. Jim Harbaugh and the Wolverines are looking for that big win that he’s been missing over the years. This will be a great defensive game between the two and I’m going with Michigan to squeak by the Badgers.

Michigan Win 25-20

We stay in the Big Ten as the Michigan State Spartans will travel to face the 8th ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. Michigan State is coming off their second loss of the season at home against Northwestern. Michigan State could eliminate Penn State from the Big Ten North with a win. Michigan State could turn around their season in a span of two weeks with wins over Penn State and Michigan. Can the Spartans upset the Nittany Lions on the road? Penn State is coming off their bye week after a heartbreaking loss at home against Ohio State. Penn State needs help to dethrone Ohio State and they still have Michigan. Either way, I’m going with the Penn State Nittany Lions to win.

Penn State Win 34-23

The final game of the week we’ll head back to the west coast. The undefeated 19th ranked Colorado Buffaloes will travel to Los Angeles to face the USC Trojans. The Colorado Buffaloes enter this game undefeated, but some people aren’t sold on them. Two of those wins have come against winless Nebraska and UCLA. If Colorado were to beat USC, they face their toughest test the following week on the road against Washington. Can the Buffaloes beat the Trojans? After starting the season 1-2, the Trojans have won two games in a row. Those two losses came on the road against Stanford and Texas. If the Trojans upset the Buffaloes, they’ll be tied with Colorado and Arizona, but they would have beaten both. I’m going with the Trojans to beat the Buffaloes and hand them their first defeat.

USC Win 27-24

What game intrigues you the most in college football? Do you see any upsets happening this weekend? What do you think about my predictions and my top-5 below? Leave a comment below.